Four-wheel drive for electric vehicles



Sept. 4, 1923.

R. FULLER FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES Filed 00ft 21, 1918 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 $114 51 FULLE RODOLPH v5 awo'nwsp Sept. 4, 1923.

- 1,467,152 R. FULLER FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES FiledOCt. 21, 1918 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I Rpnoumus ELLER 61110: new

Sept.4,1923. 1,467,152

R. FULLER FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES Filed 001;. 21, 1918 4 s t 5 w a 47 I I I 1 J1 42 44 J4 2 36 .34 I 9 m; 46 1 57 v 39 as 31 9 V 1 1 m 53 -52 j 3 i 45 w as 1 l 2 4a 29 KmOLPHUS'F LLEK Sept. 4, 1923. 1%?31152 R. FULLER FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES Filed Oct. 21 1918 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 RODQLPH sTTLLE fiitented Sept. d, 123.. y

RDDOLPEUS FULLER, 0F BETH/511, EECHXGAN.

roua-wnm. or. non ntnoraro vmronas. 1

' Application and tlctober a, ram. serial no. esaoiej -T0mZZwiwm it may cmwern: V ized for military purposes, particularly in Be it known that I, Rooonrnus Form, the large tanks and vehicles employed for a citizen of the United States of America, moving artillery. By elinninatingv change residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne s ecd gcartransmission mechanism and in- 3 and State of Michigan, have invented cercpendently and electrically controlling the tsin new and usefullmprovements in Fourspeed of each vehicle wheel or caterpillar v Wheel Drives for Electric Vehicles, of. tread member, it is possible to apply power which the following is a specification, referwhere needed and move vehicles over terriencebeing had therein to 'the accompanytory which would be prohibitive by the .lll 3 in drawings. usual driving mechanism,

in my Patent No. 994,993, granted June .My invention will be hereinafter more 13, 1911, there is disclosed a system of elecfully considered and reference'will now be trio motor control which is capable of gcnhad to the drawings, whereinoral application in electric power trans- Figure l is a plan of the front and rear wit its mission mechanism where great flexibility axle assembly of a vehicle;

is required in starting and stopping with F ig.2 is a rear elevation of one of the heavy loads,fand it is articularly applicarear wheelsof the rear axle, partly broken ble to the control of e ectric power trucks, away and partly in section; tramways and the like, designed for trans, Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional l5 2 porting heavy loads and which are driven view of a portion of a front axle and one by electric power generated on the vehicle itof its wheels,--showing a steering lniuckle self and transmitted to the wheels of the vethrough which power is transmitted, and

hicle through separate motorsin'suitable Fig. 4 is a side elevation of one of the driving-connctioii therewith. The separate wheels, partly broken away and partly in m motor drive necessitates the transmission ofsection. I

power, by mechanical means, from the mo- Considering the rear'axle assembly, the tors to the wheels of the vehicle, and itis reference numeral 1 denotes an axle hsvin to such mechanical power transmission end faces 2, and in proximity to these and I mechanism that this invention particularly faces are spring perches and such other 85 relates, and may be generally considered as structures as are essential for the support a four-wheel drive. or suspension of a chassisor body relative The present invention aims to provide to the rear axle. a four-wheel drive mechanism wherein the Connected to the end faces 2 by screw transmission of power from separate mobolts 3 or other fastening means are gear as 3-5 tors to the peripheries of the wheels is housings 4, and since the gear housingsat accomplished in an economical, safe and the ends of the axles are identical in cono durabl manner, without any danger of vestruction, also the rear wheel construction. hicle-axles,-knuck1es and wheels 'being'frao' I deem it only necessary to describe the contured or subjected to excessive strains and, struction at oneend or the axle. The gear on no stresses which would unnecessarily increase housing 4 has its front or rear wall, prefthe load on the motor; it being a desi-deraerably the former, provided with; a t keturn to accomplish-the transmission of powapart bearing 5' for a short shaft '6 which er with minimum friction and as direct as has the inner end thereof provided with a possible'to the wheels of the vehicle. beveled gear wheel 7 and provision is made ice My invention further aims to provide a for coupling a suitable drive'ii shaft or mom four-wheel drive which when controlled by her to the outer end of the shaft 6. The a system of electric distribution, as disouter end of the gear housing 4 terminates closed in my prioi patent is particularly in'a hollow spindle 8 and set in the ends applicable to large passen r basses, since of said hollow spindle are anti-frictional we so the independentdrive to t e wheels of the bearings 9.- Journal-led in the bearings 9 bus will erznit of the same being practicalconcentrically of the hollow spindle 8 is a ly turned'in its own length, besi es facilispindle shaft 10 having the inner end there-- toting its manipulation in congested looalof provided with a large beveled gear wheel w 11 meshing with the gear wheel, 7 and suitno 55 It is in this connection, that the fourably fixed on the outer end of the spindle.

wheel drive may be advantageously utilshaft 10 is a smallgear wheel 12. v

statirmary hub 14 provities clearance fer the cuter end of the spindle shaft 16 and (:11 die outer end of the steeionary nub ii is an antifrictiezml bearing 16 that cooperates with the anti-frictional bee'ingl in supporting the inner and outer iiiub portions 17 anyi' 18 of e wheei. For a heavy vehicle, as a p315 bus, truck or the iike, it is preferebie to use a Wili having-e wi ie tread or more m2: (me tire and such wheelhas been. The whee as shown has its inner and 011* hub pm'tiene 1i and 1* integrai with webs i9 ccnnecbai, as at 20 to a wide feiiy member 2-1 szigiperting tires 22. This type L been simiieevy duty is preiect the mechanism 0:? part 19 of said whee ie i 11) pei tien i? "has a dust ring guami cemiecfseci tigeiete and a cap 2% is connecied tie the huia portinn i8- iheseeiements cooperating with the Webs 19 of the WiXQEiS in providing encio sui'e fer the driving; mechanism of the wheel The staticnary hoiiew hub Mixes a yoke composed 0% sets of apposed arms 25, best shown if: Fig. 4, and rotatabie in the ends of said yoke are large gear wheeis 01 pinions 26 that mesh with the smaii gear wheei 12; the

hair) 14 being cut away or recesseci at, 27 i0 provide ciearance for the large gear wheeis or pinions 28. These iaz'ge gear wheels er mnons mesh with an internal rack 28 carried by the felly' member 1 be tween the webs 19 thereof. Ti1e internal rack 28 1s cnniigunus to the treaci or periphcry of the mar Wheel and the elements 10,

'11, 12, 26 and 28 censtituie a reduction gear mecimnism'which permits of the wheel be ing epemzed at a reduced speed reiaiive m the shaft 6, which may be coupied direct t0 the armature sheif'i', of a motor. W 1th ahe whee} free to remive about the stationary hub 14 221d thespindie it is apparent that pewer may be easily transmit'fied thereto, and with the power tmnsmission mechanism cmnpieteiy enclosed, it is imp-essible' far dust and fomigu matter to in/erfere with the mechanism Wibhin the Wheel.

Reference will new be had an the mm; axle assembly, shown in Figs, 1 and 3, and whereim the reference numeral 29 denotes the axle with bath ends thereof similar. Each end; @i a has iniegmi gear housing and a. iongituciina] beeringportion 31 said gear iwusing being provided with a cietechebie cover 32 and said. bearing of the ex e.

) met-at igemee pertien providing an end feee a; i Extending into the gear driven shaft 342 which em z take-apart bearing 35, CEZ'Tl 'Eiie inner mic; e1?

with a similar gear Wheel 31 ed an flee inner end 01'? e Lilli "3: shaft 38 tending through the {)Gfiiflfl 31 and journaied. in anti-frictienci iiia s 39 in Rhea ends of *she Cunnected to the end inf; perticn 31 by screwiiieiis fastening means is e imm e which has verticeiiy i videci with i'jus hing: pry-riding clearance drive simii 38, and 5,110 "pz'cvic" gclearance 5h iiie kmiekie istabie in the hm; e plane tionai form cf 1? 251x252} Within the knuckle 46 recessed and ape/" ure vicie clearance the outer end 0 I so ihat this shaft may be contin. y in driving 11;;

5:0 impart wen, lit-ii; 34.

relation to the spindle 5372114. movement ehere'to fro-ii me- ()n the Step-med spi 4:6 is e F 10 the rear wheei, 'wi the wheel has a Si iess Width than the Wheei 551E213 may from \fihe spimiie sh ing, generally (iesigj'mt gearing being similar to tile ei I and 28 associated with the rear Wheeifl comparison of Fig. 3 cf the rii'ewings :15:11 1 Fig. 2 will show the frame wheels he be C II practicaiiy the same QGfiSi;"iiiili"ZE es flue rear wiieeis, and as iiefm-e 5 (1, these Wheeis may represent such 31 men.-

beies as impart movement is ceierpiilai' 136* lineman tread member or other devices for moving a vehicle. I

It is obvious that the front wheels of the vehicle can be driven similar to the rear.

lar to the wheels shown in Fig, 3, and in consequence of such an arrangement it would be posible in a four point drive vehicle to turn said vehicle practically in its own len h. This is especially true in connection wit a tank or vehicle having caterpillar tractionmembers. i I

M pointed out in the beginning, the fourpoint drive mechanism has been rimarily designed to be operated from iudlependent sources of power, particularly electric motors supplied with plower from an engine. driven generator, a being carried on a single vehicle or trailers attached thereto; With an elrctric motor coupled to each one ofthe shafts 6 and 34, it is apparent that the operation of each wheel of the vehicle. whether it be three, four or six wheels, can

be readily controlled, and consequently a end of each hearing, a knuck e housin at the outer end of each bearing, a knuckle aving a greater part thereof enclosed by said housing, means exteriorly of said said knuckle, and means extending into said gear housing and through the longitudinal axle bearing and said knuckle for transmit-- ting power torsaid Wheel.

2. An axle having a gear housing ad- 'acent each end, a longitudinally disposed aring'communicating with each gear houning,.a drive shaft in said bearing and. having one end thereof extcndinginto said gear or noneing and extending therein for imparting movement to said drive shaft, a knuckle housing connected to said bearin and into which the opposite end of said rive shaft extends, a knuckle having trunnions journaled in the top and bottom of said housing with one of mid trunnions provided with a steering arm, a spindle shaft journaled in said knuckle and'articulated With said drive shaft, and a wheel having movement imparted thereto from said spindle shaft.

3. An axle as called for in claim 1, wherein said knuckle seats on the bottom of said housing, and an anti-frictional hearing between the top of said knuckle and the top of said housing,

In testimony whereof l afiix in presence of two witne.

RQDOLFHUS FULLER;

Witnesses:

my signature 

